Analysis Of ' Kill A Mockingbird '

To kill a mockingbird can mean many things. It’s the title of a book that has been bought 40 million times. But, it also has a definition. To kill a mockingbird means to destroy innocence. The theme of my literary analysis is mockingbirds. Mockingbirds in TKAM are innocent things tainted by the skewed society of Maycomb. Some of these mockingbirds are Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, and the children. To Kill a Mockingbird is a book set in a small Alabama town in the 1930’s. The main character and narrator is Jean Louise Finch, but is almost always called by her nickname, Scout. Scout, her brother, and her summer friend Dill get into all kinds of mischief while living in the racist society of a 1930’s Alabama town. Scout’s dad, Atticus, is a prominent lawyer in Maycomb and is appointed to a controversial case, and is defending a black man. Scout and her brother, Jem go through many troubles and learn many lessons from the days leading up to, and during the trial. The trail makes their family some friends and a lot of enemies. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a story of courage and despair. Throughout TKAM, mockingbirds are used as an example of something innocent being tainted by the skewed society of TKAM. Some great examples of these are Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, and the children.

Tom Robinson’s first mistake was helping Mayella out around her house. By helping Mayella, he made a friend without knowing it. Tom thought he was only helping, but Mayella began to think of Tom as more than a friend as time went on. It got to the point where Mayella would have Tom do jobs about every time he walked by her house. One day when Tom was helping inside the house, Bob, Mayella’s father, came from the woods and saw Tom inside the house. This led to the story of Tom raping Mayella.

I selected this book because its the best book I have ever read. I read To Kill A Mockingbird last year and my class wrote an essay about this book, since I already know so much about this book I thought it would be a nice and quick read. I thought it would be a great enjoyment to refresh my memory of this epic book. I watched the movie soon after I read the whole book and it was very fun to pick out the not-placed and wrong-worded parts of the movie. To Kill A Mockingbird is about a sister, brother, and their friend Dill finding items in their neighbors tree, soon after this their father was the lawyer of a case on an african american.

Tom Robinson is another mockingbird figure. He was a genuinely caring person who is destroyed by his willingness to help Mayella Ewell. Just like a mockingbird, Robinson never hurt anyone. Yet, he was also persecuted by society for his kindness and his race. Tom Robinson was killed because of his kindness and the color of his skin; “ a harmless songbird that was shot down by a senseless hunter.” Lee uses the character of Tom as a mockingbird figure to express the innocence of the mockingbird and exhibit the narrow-mindedness and biased opinions of the towns folk.

Lee implies that people learn lessons through life experiences that school can ever teach. Throughout this novel, Atticus taught his kids many lessons that was hard for them to hear at times, but it later on helped them in the story. Or it helped them grow up and mature. On page 40 of To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus was explaining to Scout that Miss.Caroline was new and didn’t know anyone, and she especially didn’t know the Cunningham’s story, Atticus states, “Atticus said… but if Walter and I had put ourselves in her shoes we’d have seen it was an honest mistake on her part” (40). This quote by Atticus is meant to explain to Scout that Miss. Caroline just made an honest human mistake. He tried to get Scout to realize that if he put herself in Miss.Caroline’s shoes then she might better understand the confusion. Obviously you can’t really be in her shoes, but he said it figuratively to show her why it was important to give her another chance, or at least try to be nice and listen. Atticus taught this to Scout at home later on that night. At her school after that she tried to just get by in her class. Lee also shows mainly throughout that the school system doesn’t help when it comes to teaching children life lessons. As shown in the earlier quote Atticus, had told Scout to jump in Walter’s shoes, and walk around in it. This other quote shows how Scout actually takes into consideration of Atticus’ words, and chooses to not bother Jem because she tried to imagine what it had

"Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird" (pg. 119.) Miss Maudie spoke the previous quote with deep thought going into each and every word. She wasn't just trying to teach Scout a lesson, but she wanted there to be a powerful meaning behind it. Miss Maudie's main purpose was to stress that you shouldn't kill something that is doing no harm. Everyday "mockingbirds" are killed, broke down, and mistreated by society.

Harper Lee is best known for writing the Pulitzer Prize-winning bestseller To Kill a Mockingbird. The novel takes place during the depression in Alabama with the main character, Scout, viewing her lawyer father, Atticus, defending a wrongly accused black man of rape. The reader gets to understand Scout’s childhood view of this controversial situation. Scout’s character in to Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is really the author’s own life playing out in the novel, which is most likely why this novel is thought to be one of the best American Novels of the 20th century.

Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” is set in a small Southern United States community called Maycomb during the Great Depression era. The whole book primarily revolves around segregation and racism and how it relates to Maycomb’s history. It eventually leads to the trial of Tom Robinson where he is accused of beating up and raping Mayella Ewell. Even though it was clear that Tom Robinson did not do anything wrong he was convicted by an all white jury simply because he was black. The trial of Tom Robinson and its verdict shows an example of how segregation in the court system prevents fair trials from occurring.

Tom Robinson was a very helpful man and a hard worker, yet after Mayella Ewell sexually assaulted him he was put to trial for his life. In the trial the Ewells testify that Tom raped and beat Mayella,

It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason. When I come to town, which is seldom, if I weave a little and drink out of this sack, folks can say Dolphus Raymond’s in the clutches of whiskey---that’s why he won’t change his ways. He can’t help himself, that’s why he lives the way he does.”

Tom Robinson is one character who is judged extremely harshly by Maycomb society. Tom is a victim of racism and is falsely accused of the rape of Mayella Ewell. As a result the accusations are directly linked to the effects of racism. When on trial, the Ewell’s testimony about Tom stereotypes him as an aggressive sex offender. During her testimony (Chapter

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a book that takes place in the Deep South during the early 19th century. Throughout the book, we learn about the ideas and mentality of southerners especially towards issues like race. An ongoing theme in the book is the symbol of a “Mockingbird” which supposedly symbolizes goodness, beauty, innocence and vulnerability. One of the main characters named Tom Robinson can be portrayed as a Mockingbird. He is vulnerable by simply being black in the south; and his goodness and innocence are both illustrated during the court case. Most African Americans are mistreated in Maycomb county, and Tom Robinson is no exception. He has been accused of raping a young lady named Mayella Ewell which shows his vulnerability.

Tom Robinson is an African American who is symbolic in this novel for the test of racism in the town of Maycomb. Tom is accused for an attack of Mayella Ewell and is seen as a typical black man, but it turns out that he is very kind and gentle. This trial of Tom Robinson affects Jem more than any other young child. He knew that this man was innocent, but “Jem, moving into adulthood, also feels Tom’s despair” (Bruell, page 45) He feels this every time the jury announced him guilty and felt as if there was another stab at Tom. “You just can’t convict a man on evidence like that—you can’t.” (Lee, page). Jem feels that the evidence that was given was not convincing enough as he was on the side of Tom. There is no chance for Robinson in this situation as a black man in a primarily white town attacks a white woman. Jem feels that society is lost and ultimately Jem loses his faith in humanity and is “…marked forever by this experience” (Bruell, page 45). Boo Radley was accused of horrible things and Jem finally realizes the bravery of Boo and his reasons to stay inside his home. “Scout, I think I'm beginning to understand something. I think I'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time... it's because he wants to stay inside."(Bloom, page 32) Jem feels that Boo’s isolation is necessary and not a negative thing at all. Many would believe that Boo Radley exiling himself from society was

“To Maycomb, Tom's death was typical. Typical of a nigger to cut and run.” (Lee 173). Tom Robinson is the last and major case of prejudice in the novel. Near the start of the story, Harper Lee introduces Tom Robinson as a black man who’s being accused of rape. The person that’s he’s being accused of raping is Mayella, an Elwell. Since the story is based in the deep south, it’s common for there to be racism. While there’s no proof that Tom actually did rape Mayella, in the end Tom Robinson is convicted. Atticus, a white man and father to Scout and Jem, represents Tom in court. Although this goes against all beliefs at that time, he still did it because he knew it was right. The judgement that was convicted on Tom is all based on the opinion of the community then. This prejudice leads to an eventual death of Tom Robinson that nobody really cares about. Harper Lee really used Tom as a big theme in this story That racism will essentially never die unless the people want it to die.

The story, in the eyes of two innocent children Scout and her brother Jem, of the discrimination and hypocrisy throughout the town. Maycomb County, Alabama, faces an African American’s injustice while the children learn valuable lessons from their father, Atticus and their housemaid Calpurnia, during the Great Depression. All the while, we are learning from it. To Kill a Mockingbird teaches us the lessons of morale, justice and equality.